So, I have been thinking about this since last Thursday at my endocrinology appointment. I think I need to start off this blog post by explaining the type of person I am.
I think Sean was very young and we had gone to a doctor appointment. And getting into the office, (which we were going to often) was NOT handicapped accessible. There was a probably an inch gap between the sidewalk and the actual floor to the office. It was difficult for me to get in! Not TOO difficult but annoying.
I don’t know what it was, but I was given a survey to complete after Sean’s appointment. I do not know why I took the time to explain how difficult it is for me to get into the doorway the building. I just remember that I did that and I think that I was irritated that it was so difficult so I wrote it on the survey.
I think it was like a month later when we went back to that office for another doctor appointment and to my surprise, the sidewalk square right where you open the door was redone. It was on a slight incline so I could get into the office easily! I was completely aghast! I looked at Sean with disbelief, and with my voice shaking, I said, “This is because of me?!”
That building is no longer a Henry Ford building and Sean and I don’t even go there anymore but I was completely floored that I said something about it and it changed. I guess the “Squeaky Wheel…” is correct! I was thinking about this experience when we went to my endocrinology appointment.
My endocrinologist is in the same building that my dermatologist is just on a different floor. It is downtown at New Center One. It is a building that is newer to Henry Ford I think. But, let me tell you that anything downtown is definitely NOT handicap accessible!!!
I am just going to put some pictures that show the lack of accessibility. This was my face as I try to navigate through it:
let me first start up by saying that 23 years into this MS diagnosis, I constantly hear that d*mn doctor who told me that I was going to go blind and then die at the outset. I am not blind… yet and I’m not dying. I just have to live with this! It is getting difficult! Let me ‘splain ya:
I want you to take note of a couple things in this picture. My Mom took it when we were leaving. Notice the cobblestones?! Oh, I sure did!!! That is so NOT cool and it’s a pretty large area that has cobblestones.
Notice the entrance. Normally, and doctor appointment I go to has the automatic double doors clearly marked! I could not see this little button and my mom told me it was there. Unfortunately, there were nothing but standard doors in this building and as a power chair user, that really doesn’t work!:
But then you have to:
My Mom took this picture because I was inching down the hallway because this was what I turned in to:
It was such a tight squeeze! And remember, my vision isn’t as good as it used to be!!! And then we left:
This entire appointment, I just kept thinking, “Disabled people matter too!”
A majority of my appointments are in Dearborn which is completely accessible. Otherwise, I usually go downtown to Henry Ford. And I’m just used to it there, so that’s not a problem either.
I was thinking that I cannot be a squeaky wheel here as I was in the elevator that was way too shallow for a power chair. And I know because my feet were right up against the glass as we rode up and down:
I only need to come here for my dermatologist, and my endocrinologist and I think that seeing my endocrinologist is a little bit premature. Next month, I’m going to see my internist in Dearborn completely a completely accessible place!!! It’s like this now… 😒😒😒…